Although it was a loss, one could make a valid case for today serving as the most inspiring game of St. John’s basketball that has been played all season.
Three days removed from a wire-to-wire win over West Virginia, the Red Storm (9-12) gave a valiant effort in an 83-76 loss to sixth-ranked Duke (18-3) at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
It was a game of runs, as Duke turned a slim three-point lead into a 20-point advantage with a 20-3 spurt in the first half, but also one in which a talented freshman made himself a household name to all those who still doubted his abilities.
After his 23-point, 13-rebound outing against West Virginia Wednesday night, Moe Harkless matched his rebound total from the previous game and exploded for 30 points against the 2010 national champion Blue Devils. The offensive eruption was just two points short of Harkless’ career high of 32, set on December 27th against Providence.
“I wanted to win the game,” said Harkless after a game in which he was visibly more passionate on the court than at any other point in his young career. “Coach [Mike Dunlap] told us how much he respects Duke, but he always wants to beat them, so he kind of put that in our heads. This one was personal.”
D’Angelo Harrison, who scored 21 points in his own right, said of Harkless’ contributions: “I think he grew up today.”
Harkless and St. John’s next take their road show to Chicago for a Wednesday evening clash with DePaul, but before they do that, here are some lasting impressions to chew on in the wake of a team that showed more than just hope for the future.
Lasting Impressions
– Moe Harkless gets the game ball, and there is no question about it. The freshman’s 30-point, 13-rebound outing makes him the first-ever St. John’s player to reach the 30-point plateau in Durham, and he was equal parts aggressive and savvy in doing so. His first-half dunk that pulled St. John’s to within three and forced Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski to call a timeout in the first half was the highlight of his virtuoso performance. Harkless also becomes the second player in as many seasons to score 30 in multiple games, joining the great Dwight Hardy, who eclipsed that mark several times on the way to the NCAA Tournament one year ago. “I feel like we lost today,” said Krzyzewski after watching his Duke team let Harkless and the Red Storm back into the game during the second half.
– In addition to Harkless, D’Angelo Harrison added 21 points to continue a string of consistent efforts. The Texan has had problems with shot selection in recent games, but he was able to ignite a late Red Storm rally with several second-half threes.
– St. John’s has played back-to-back solid games against high-level competition for the first time this season. With DePaul up next, the Red Storm need to be mindful of the fact that the Blue Demons are just as good as anyone else, especially with Syracuse coming up a week from today at Madison Square Garden.
– Finally, Duke was able to survive on the way to their 94th consecutive nonconference home win. In a game where the Blue Devils led by as many as 22, Mason Plumlee proved his value with a 15-point, 17-rebound showing that may get overlooked in the box score, but turned out to be the game-saving effort considering Duke only shot 30 percent in the second half.
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